St. George, UT (August 05, 2022) – Traffic passing through a busy intersection in St. George was delayed for roughly an hour on Tuesday, August 2nd after three vehicles collided at Foremaster Drive and River Road.
St. George Police Department, St. George Fire Department and Gold Cross Ambulance personnel were all dispatched to the scene at about 3:20 p.m.
According to officials, a southbound Kia was waiting to make a lefthand turn onto Foremaster Drive from River Road as an oncoming BMW was traveling straight through the intersection on a green light.
The driver of the Kia chose that moment to turn, failing to yield, and was struck by the oncoming BMW. The impact caused the Kia to spin out and strike a Toyota Corolla, waiting in the turn lane on Foremaster.
The driver of the Kia, a 17-year-old male, was hospitalized after complaints of burns from the airbag.
The driver of the BMW was also taken by ambulance to St. George Regional Hospital for treatment of burns from the airbag and difficulty breathing.
An officer on the scene said that sometimes, when airbags, deploy, the chemicals they contain cause burn injuries to those inside the vehicle.
The driver of the Toyota, a teenage male, was unharmed as were his three passengers. He was able to drive his vehicle safely from the scene.
Both the BMW and the Kia had to be towed.
The driver of the Kia received a citation for failing to yield during a left turn.
Our thoughts are with the injured victim and their family at this time. We hope for their full recovery.
Failing to yield the right of way is one of the leading causes of car accidents nationwide.
When drivers fail to yield, it can cause multiple kinds of serious collisions, including side-impact and head-on collisions. Failing to yield at a crosswalk also leads to dangerous accidents involving bicyclists and pedestrians who are exceptionally vulnerable because they lack safety features of any kind.
There are a lot of reasons why one driver might disregard another’s right of way. A report issued by a private company that studies collision data provided by insurance companies shows that failure to yield is the fourth most frequent cause of deadly accidents. The ones that occur most often in Utah include:
- Distracted Driving: When a driver is distracted by something outside or inside their vehicle and, as a result, they fail to pay attention to the roadway, they could disregard the right of way of others. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that distracted driving is any action that redirects someone’s attention away from driving, like texting or talking on your phone, drinking or eating, talking to passengers, or using the stereo.
- Drowsy Driving:When a driver is severely fatigued or overly tired, they might not have the capacity to give their undivided attention to their surroundings. They are also less likely to correctly judge distances and might fail to notice that another driver has the right of way.
- Driving Under the Influence:Alcohol reduces your reaction time and impairs your judgment. A driver who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs could fail to yield to pedestrians or other cars. There are also certain prescription medications that can hinder someone’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.
After being injured in a failure to yield accident that was not your fault, contact our Utah personal injury attorney from Jardine Law Offices P.C. by calling (801) 350-3506 to schedule a free case assessment and learn how we can help you.
Notes: The details and information utilized to create this post were gathered through the use of secondary sources. The details surrounding this accident have not been independently verified by the writing staff at Jardine Law Offices P.C.. These sources include but are not limited to newspaper stories, local news sources, local and state police reports, and eyewitness accounts about serious accidents that take place in Farmington and Salt Lake City, Utah. If you locate any information that is inaccurate, please contact us right away so that we can update the post with the most accurate information available. If you would like the post to be removed, please let us know and we will remove it as soon as possible.
Disclaimers: The attorneys at Jardine Law Offices P.C. have worked hard through the years to build a solid business reputation in the community. We write about these serious incidents to bring awareness about the dangers associated with driving in hopes that our fellow community members will use an abundance of caution when operating a motor vehicle and avoid being involved in a serious accident themselves. This story is not intended to be a solicitation for business. The information provided in this post should not be misconstrued as medical or legal advice. The photos used in this post are not taken from the scene of this accident.